GB2306783A - Integrated circuit card reader - Google Patents

Abstract

A hand-held electronic device comprises an element 5 such as a display energisable by actuation of a switch which is formed by at least a part of a flexible printed circuit board which is deflectable to actuate the switch by pressure applied by the user to a flexible area 6 of the casing of the device. The device may comprise an integrated circuit card reader in the form of a wallet having electrical contacts which are connected with contacts on the card to enable a read out to be obtained on the display 5 when the casing of the wallet is flexed to actuate the switch.

Description

INTEGRATED CIRCUIT CARD READER The present invention relates to a reader for an integrated circuit card, commonly referred to as a "smart card", such a card being typically the size and shape of a credit card.

It is known to provide a card reader which is in the form of a wallet or case having a liquid crystal display and into which a card may be inserted so that electrical contacts are made between the card and the wallet to cause a read-out to be displayed on the display. This read-out would be typically of the residual value of currency still electronically stored on the card.

Although prior art devices are relatively compact their overall size and bulk are dictated by those of the various electrical and electronic components which have to be incorporated within the casing in order to provide the desired functionality. The casing is typically moulded from a thermo-plastics material.

Such balance readers are provided to customers by banks in order to encourage customers to carry out their funds transfers by purely electronic means instead of either using cash, cheques or credit/charge cards. It is therefore important that the cost of such wallets should be kept to a minimum whilst at the same time being completely reliable.

With known arrangements, as the card is inserted into the balance readers electrical contacts on the card engage cooperating electrical contacts mounted within the case to make a circuit between the card and the wallet.

The balance reader incorporates an electrical circuit that is designed so as to make it unnecessary for the wallet to incorporate a keyboard. Insertion of the card into the balance reader automatically causes the circuit to produce an output that is fed to a liquid crystal display on the reader. This arrangement is referred to in the art as "answer-to-reset". This known prior art construction of balance readers has an on-off switch, either operated by the insertion of the card into the reader or by pressing a switch, and a set of electrical contacts which connect with contacts on the card to enable a read-out to be obtained.

The present invention is concerned with providing a construction of wallet which will be cheaper to manufacture and more compact than those of the prior art.

According to the present invention in a reader of the type described, the on-off switch and the electrical contacts are combined and operable substantially simultaneously by pressure applied to the outside of the reader to cause it to flex inwardly.

How the invention may be carried will now be described by example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a wallet constructed according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of a wallet constructed according to the present invention; Figure 3 is an end view taken in the direction of the arrow A in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a plan view showing, in outline, the basic electrical/electronic elements contained within the wallet of Figures 1 to 3; Figure 5 is an end view taken in the direction of the arrow B of Figure 4; and Figure 6 is an end view taken in a direction of the arrow C in Figure 4.

A wallet 1 according to the present invention is of substantially the same size and shape as a credit card, and comprises a moulded plastic casing 2 having a front 2a and a back 2b, the front and back being moulded from a thermoplastic material and welded (for example ultrasonically) to one another along the long sides 3a, 3b and one of the ends 3c; the remaining end 3d being open and comprising a slot 4 into which the card can be inserted. A finger cutout 4a is provided in the back 2b of the casing to facilitate the gripping of the card in order to withdraw it from the casing.

The front 2a of the casing is provided with a window 5 through which an LCD display is visible. The front 2a is also provided with an area 6 which is adapted to function as a press-button. The area 6 could be of the same thickness as the rest of the front 2a of the casing or could be moulded thinner in order to facilitate its deflection under pressure from a user's finger or thumb. In any event it is moulded in a way that will ease it's depression.

As far as the user is concerned in order to obtain a readout on the LCD display of the funds currently stored electronically on the card, the card is first inserted through the slot 4 into the casing 1. Alternatively, the card may be retained within the casing when not in use.

Insertion of the card through the slot 4 and into the casing 1 does not in itself cause any power to be switched on or any electrical contacts to the made.

In order to effect a read-out, the user depresses the press-button area 6 which has the effect of substantially simultaneously firstly closing an on-off switch and secondly bringing electrical contacts on the card into electrical contacts with the corresponding electrical contacts in the casing. Thus with this arrangement these two functions are in effect combined and the cost of providing the known on-off switch is saved because the press-button acts as the on-off switch.

The mechanism for effecting the above described sequence of operations, and those operations will now be described in more detail.

Each of the two moulded halves 2a, 2b of the casing 2 include moulding detail (recesses, walls etc.) to house the various electrical/electronic components, the latter being secured to the respective half of the casing by adhesive. The free side (top) of the components is covered by a sealing film such as Mylar (registered Trade Mark) except for the area corresponding to the press-button 6.

In particular the internal components include the printed circuit board 7 which is secured by a double-sided adhesive pad to the underside of the top 2a of the casing in the vicinity of the press-button 6. Squeezing or pressing of the casing causes the entire set of contacts, including power, to be made.

The key feature of the present invention is that the printed circuit board is flexible; a suitable material for it being Kapton (registered Trade Mark).

The internal components consist of a liquid crystal display 8 having three "star-burst" characters and four 7-segment numeric figures.

The liquid crystal display 8 is electrically connected by a Kapton (Registered Trade Mark) flexible circuit which is connected to the liquid crystal display.

The flexible circuit provides a bonding area for a microprocessor 9 and also contacts for the card connector and battery 10. The latter could be a laminated lithium type of battery operating at 6 volts and 20mAh.

Figure 4 shows the relationship of the liquid crystal display 8, the flexible printed circuit board 7 and the battery 10, which all lie substantially parallel to and co-planar with one another.

The embodiment shown in the drawings is of so-called landscape configuration.

The wallet 1 is a sealed unit and is intended to be disposed of when the battery expires. Typically the battery life would be about four years, assuming that the user depresses the press-button 6 ten times a day to obtain a read-out.

The manner of operation will now be described in a little more detail.

When the area 6 is pressed a momentary power connection is made which is latched by the microprocessor for a specific period. At the same time power is applied to the card but the clock is not applied until the microprocessor is ready. As soon as the clock is applied the microprocessor issues a reset command to the card and the ATR is read from the card and the processor switches off both clock and power to the card. The time for this process is less than 50mS.

The microprocessor now displays the message from ATR data and switches into the slow or low power mode in order to flash the balance alternatively with the type of currency. This period is up to thirty seconds in total but it is intended to provide no more than six seconds and a one second alternation rate.

Although the present invention has been described in relation to its incorporation in a wallet adapted to provide a read-out for a socalled smart card, the inventive concept of using a flexibly mounted printed circuit board to itself act as an on-off switch could be incorporated in other products.

Claims (3)

1. A hand-held electronic product having an element, such as a display, energisable by actuation of a switch, characterised in that the switch is formed by at least a part of a flexible printed circuit board.

The latter being deflectable to open or close the switch by pressure applied to the device by the user.

2. A wallet of the kind described in which the on-off switch and the electrical contacts are combined and are operable substantially simultaneously by pressure applied to the outside of the wallet casing by the user to cause the casing to flex inwardly.

3. A wallet substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.